As undergraduate engineering students graduate and advance in their careers, they are faced with multiple tasks that require them to write extensively, whether that be in industry or graduate school. Additionally, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) lists the ability to communicate effectively an expected student outcome of accredited baccalaureate programs. Because of insufficient writing requirements in undergraduate engineering curricula, however, many engineers are unprepared for the writing-demand necessary to convey their own ideas or understanding of ideas. More rigorous writing practices would not only improve effective communication skills as undergraduate students pursue their education, but it can also help students develop a deeper conceptual foundation of engineering topics. The writing pedagogy of interest follows a scaffolded approach and will be implemented alongside a current hands-on learning pedagogy in a junior-level fluid mechanics class. Two theories build the foundation for this pedagogy: learning through mimicry and learning through instruction. The students begin by taking a pre-test with a descriptive paragraph of the technical phenomena occurring during use of a venturi meter; certain phrases of the paragraph are narrowed to two options, where they have to choose the correct phrase. Students then use the venturi hands-on learning device, followed by a posttest. In the posttest, the sections that were previously narrowed down to two options consist of blanks instead, where students are required to write their own comprehensible phrases. These initial steps will help students learn how to explain engineering concepts, leading them to being able to write full paragraphs describing this technical phenomenon on their own in an exam-setting. The results of this implementation will be compared to previous semesters when the scaffolded writing pedagogy was not used, acting as the control.
Kitana Kaiphanliam is a doctoral candidate in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Washington State University (WSU). Her research focuses include miniaturized, hands-on learning modules for engineering education and bioreactor
Olivia Reynolds is an assistant professor at Washington State University. She earned her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Washington State in 2022 with research focused on developing and evaluating low-cost, hands-on learning tools demonstrating heat transfer and fluid mechanics principles. Reynolds is now teaching the first-year introductory engineering course for Washington State and is involved with college-wide first-year programming and retention efforts.
Jacqueline Burgher Gartner is an Assistant Professor at Campbell University in the School of Engineering, which offers a broad BS in engineering with concentrations in chemical and mechanical engineering. Campbell University started the engineering program in 2016, and she is leading the design and implementation of the chemical engineering curriculum at Campbell's innovative, project based pedagogical approach. She has a PhD in chemical engineering from Washington State University, where she specialized in miniaturizing industrial systems for applications in the undergraduate engineering classroom.
Dr. Olusola O. Adesope is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and a Boeing Distinguished Professor of STEM Education at Washington State University, Pullman. His research is at the intersection of educational psychology, learning sciences, and instructional design and technology. His recent research focuses on the cognitive and pedagogical underpinnings of learning with computer-based multimedia resources; knowledge representation through interactive concept maps; meta-analysis of empirical research, and investigation of instructional principles and assessments in STEM. He is a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Engineering Education.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7382-9715
Washington State University
[biography]
Prof. Bernard J. Van Wie received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D., and did his postdoctoral work at the University of Oklahoma where he also taught as a visiting lecturer. He has been on the Washington State University (WSU) faculty for 36 years and for the past 22 years has focused on innovative pedagogy research as well as technical research in biotechnology. His 2007-2008 Fulbright exchange to Nigeria set the stage for him to receive the Marian Smith Award given annually to the most innovative teacher at WSU. He was also the recent recipient of the inaugural 2016 Innovation in Teaching Award given to one WSU faculty member per year.
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